Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Nate just turned 2 this summer and is doing awesome! Nate had a stroke at birth and started having seizures at 6 months old (infantile spasms). These seizures are very disruptive to a child's development and he basically stayed 6 months old developmentally for a year. After a year of many unsuccessful treatments, including many seizure medications and the ketogenic diet, he was considered a candidate for a hemispherectomy (surgery to remove part of brain that is causing seizures).

On January 16, 2009 Nate had a right hemispherectomy at UCLA. And 5 days later we saw his last seizure we EVER hope to see! Prior to his surgery, he could not sit up well on his own, much less crawl or walk. He also had to have a shunt surgery in March but since then he has started to make great gains in his development. 6 months later, he is pushing to sit on his own, starting to try and butt scoot and even taking independent steps in his walker! And the best news is we got our happy, smiling little boy back! Plus in May, he got a baby brother to boot! I just know they will be best buds someday and will really help Nate's progress as he continues to grow up. ~ Nate's mom

Hope

When the doctor tells you that your infant or child has survived a stroke or that they may face life with part of their body paralyzed, time seems to come to a screeching stop. Suddenly those dreams that you once held for your child are shattered into a million pieces. On the Pediatric Stroke Hope blog, we'll share stories of hope about our babies and children who are stroke survivors. We'll also share stories about children who have hemiplegia, a paralysis or weakness on one side of their body. These kids are amazing and we hope that their stories will give you new dreams for your child.

This site is sponsored by the Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association (CHASA).